I seem to be perpetually building card cottages for this layout.

I decided a few months ago that I would need a further row of four cottages in 'half-relief' to go opposite the main goods yard and immediately in front of the backscene. The area just felt a bit too open, and I think that in real life there would have been more dwellings here.

Having painted the main brick colours on the goods shed last night, I really need the enamels to thoroughly dry for a couple of days before I continue with more detailed painting and mortar etc., so I thought I would make a start with this next batch of cottages, again built using the Howard Scenics card kits as a basis.

I have cut the card to size and window and door apertures out, here they are temporarily taped together, next to the previous row I built a couple of years ago:

View from the front:

With the retaining wall removed, this set of cottages have their own integral base. The previous set of four have a seperate base (just me being lazy at the time, really):